Uzbekistan with kids

Uzbek culture is family-centred, and children are welcomed everywhere: in restaurants, hotels, bazaars and even mosques. Strangers will smile at your children, offer them sweets and want to take photographs with them. Crime against tourists is rare, and the historic centres of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand are compact, with many pedestrian areas.

Practical facilities are less developed than in Western Europe: pavements can be uneven, baby-changing rooms are rare, and car seats are not always available. With a little planning, these are easily managed.

• Khiva: walking on the city walls, climbing the Islam Khodja minaret (for older children), and the feeling of being in a fairy-tale town. See Khiva.
• A yurt camp: sleeping in a felt yurt, riding a camel and sitting around a fire under the stars near Lake Aydarkul or Ayaz Kala.
• Desert fortresses: climbing ruined castles like explorers. See the desert fortresses.
• Bazaars: tasting dried fruit, nuts and fresh bread at the Siab bazaar or Chorsu.
• Craft workshops: painting ceramics in Rishtan, watching silk weaving in Margilan or paper-making at Konigil.
• Puppets and folklore shows in Bukhara.
• The Tashkent metro, with its colourful stations, and the mountains of Chimgan for cable cars and walks.

A relaxed 10–12-day route: Tashkent (2 nights) → Samarkand by Afrosiyob train (3 nights) → a yurt camp near Aydarkul (1 night) → Bukhara (3 nights) → Khiva (2 nights) → fly back from Urgench. Avoid long drives with young children, and keep afternoons free for rest. See Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara to Khiva. For a shorter trip, see our 5-day itinerary.

April–May and September–October are ideal: warm days and cool evenings. Summer (June–August) is very hot, often above 35–40 °C, which is hard for small children; if you travel then, sightsee early and late. Winter is cold, especially in Khiva, but quiet. See Khiva weather.

Most children enjoy Uzbek food: bread (non), plov, shashlik kebabs, samsa pastries, noodle soups, dumplings (manti), and plenty of fruit, especially melons, grapes and apricots in summer and autumn. Food is rarely spicy. Supermarkets in cities sell familiar snacks, baby food and nappies. Drink bottled water.

• Trains: the Afrosiyob is comfortable and fast; children love it. See trains in Uzbekistan.
• Car with driver: best for longer legs, such as Bukhara to Khiva or the yurt camp. Car seats are not standard; ask in advance or bring a travel seat. See our transfer service.
• Domestic flights save time on long distances. See domestic flights.
• Strollers: a light, foldable stroller is useful in Tashkent; in the old towns, a baby carrier is often easier on cobbles and steps.

• Bring a first-aid kit and any medicines your children need, with prescriptions.
• Protect children from the sun: hats, sunscreen, water.
• Wash hands often and peel fruit.
• Pharmacies are common in cities; good private clinics exist in Tashkent.
• Take travel insurance covering the whole family.

Family-run guesthouses in the old towns are often the best choice: hosts are welcoming, rooms often have space for extra beds, and breakfasts are generous. Larger hotels in Tashkent and Samarkand have family rooms and sometimes pools. Ask for extra beds or cots when booking. See where to stay in Khiva and where to stay in Bukhara.

Children need their own passports. If one parent travels alone with a child, carry a letter of consent from the other parent as a precaution. Check visa rules for each passport in the family: see our Uzbekistan visa guide.